It was a very, very long time since he had seen the sea--that
sea that leads everywhere, brings everything, and takes away so much. He
had almost forgotten why he was there, and dreamily he could see all his
past life on the smooth and boundless surface that glittered before his
eyes.
Dain's hand laid on Almayer's shoulder recalled him with a start from
some country very far away indeed. He turned round, but his eyes seemed
to look rather at the place where Dain stood than at the man himself.
Dain felt uneasy under the unconscious gaze.
"What?" said Almayer.
"She is crying," murmured Dain, softly.
"She is crying! Why?" asked Almayer, indifferently.
"I came to ask you. My Ranee smiles when looking at the man she loves.
It is the white woman that is crying now. You would know."
Almayer shrugged his shoulders and turned away again towards the sea.
"Go, Tuan Putih," urged Dain. "Go to her; her tears are more terrible to
me than the anger of gods."
"Are they? You will see them more than once. She told me she could not
live without you," answered Almayer, speaking without the faintest spark
of expression in his face, "so it behoves you to go to her quick, for
fear you may find her dead.
Pages:
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257